The present invention relates generally to automobile safety devices, and, more particularly, to occupant restraint devices which function during a vehicle collision.
Current automobile seat arrangements have been found to provide insufficient occupant protection during certain circumstances involving, for example, rear end collisions. Specifically, many vehicle seats, such as those used in the front passenger area of two-door sedans and in the front and midsection passenger areas of original and conversion vans, feature reclinable seat backs. The recliner mechanisms which permit the seat backs to selectively pivot with respect to the seat base and lock into place often also permit the seat backs to fold forward onto the seat base so as to provide access to areas behind the seat. As a result, these mechanisms are often complex, bulky, and/or expensive and have often previously been mounted on only one side of the seat back frame.
However, especially during rear end collisions such prior arrangements have been shown to fail to prevent rearward motion or reclining of the seat back in some circumstances. Apparently, the collision forces when the seat is occupied can be sufficient to overcome the recliner lock mechanism and cause the seat and/or seat back to move toward the rear of the vehicle. As a result, the seat occupant can be unintentionally ejected into the rear of the vehicle and/or the rear window of the vehicle.
To prevent this from happening, it has been suggested that the seating components be "beefed up." For example, dual locking recliner mechanisms can be mounted to the seat back, heavy "I" beam construction can be used for seat frames, and seat slides and base members can be structurally reinforced. However, such arrangements significantly increase vehicle weight and manufacturing costs. It has also been suggested that recliner mechanisms should be eliminated and a slide track employed to give rear area access, but similar collision problems can result from seats mounted merely on a slide track unless those components are also "beefed up."
Further, rear end collisions are not the only safety concern in automotive design. For example, considerable efforts have already been made to protect vehicle occupants in the event of front end collisions. As a result most vehicles are now equipped with seat belt and shoulder belt or harness arrangements which are mounted at least in part to the seat. Any arrangement to protect against rear end collisions should avoid interfering with these front end collision safety devices.
Thus, an object of the present invention is to provide an improved vehicle seat arrangement which provides increased occupant protection.
Other objects of this invention include providing:
a lightweight and inexpensive mechanism for preventing undesirable rearward seat back movement during a vehicle collision, PA1 an additional occupant restraint system which effectively transfers collision forces from the seat to the vehicle body and/or frame, PA1 a rear collision seat protection system which can be readily removed from the vehicle when the seat is removed to increase to increase cargo area, and PA1 an improved collision safety system which requires minimal redesign of vehicle structure.
These and other objects of the present invention are attained in a seating system having a tethered web extending diagonally across the rear of seat back frame from an elevated anchor secured to the vehicle roof rail. This web can be contained at one end by a retractor mechanism mounted to the seat base. The seat back covering can be formed over the portion of the web which extends rearward of the seat back frame. The retractor mechanism permits the length of the web to vary during normal vehicle use, but fixes the web length during a collision. The elevated anchor to which the web is secured can also serve as the upper anchor for the shoulder belt worn by the occupant.
Other objects, advantages, and novel features of the present invention will become readily apparent to those skilled in the art upon consideration of the drawings and detailed description included below.